Providing career pathways is of the utmost importance to the Club and it has been particularly satisfying to monitor the progress of several gifted Hong Kong racing participants this season.
Pierre Ng, 40, has led the trainers’ championship for the majority of the season and, with only eight meetings remaining, is very much a chance to win the title in only his second season of training.
That Pierre is now being challenged for overall honours by one of his former mentors, Francis Lui – both have 61 wins after 80 meetings – speaks to the value of Hong Kong’s mentor-protégé system, which has produced a string of world-class horsemen.
Like many before him, Pierre has been the beneficiary of generations of knowledge and expertise during stints with his father Peter Ng, Paul O’Sullivan, John Size and Francis as well as overseas placements with Chris Waller, David Hayes, Mick Price and David Payne.
As we have seen this season with the incredible overseas exploits of ROMANTIC WARRIOR, the influence of outstanding trainers such as Ivan Allan on Danny Shum – especially when it comes to successfully travelling horses abroad – has been invaluable. Danny is to be commended for now transferring that knowledge to his staff.
Similarly, the progress of our home-grown jockeys, notably Vincent Ho, Angus Chung, Jerry Chau, Derek Leung, Matthew Chadwick, Ellis Wong, Keith Yeung, Matthew Poon, Alfred Chan and Dylan Mo has accelerated because of their exposure to world-class jockeys including Zac Purton, Hugh Bowman, Karis Teetan and Andrea Atzeni.
The success of our home-grown talents serves as a timely reminder that the Club is currently recruiting a new intake of Racing Trainees for young Hong Kong people with aspirations to become jockeys, work riders, farriers, equestrian assistants, veterinary clinical technicians as well as many other roles.
Applications are open until 5 July for those interested in participating as Racing Trainee in the Apprentice Jockeys’ School of the Racing Talent Training Centre’s international-accredited training programme under Amy Chan and Felix Coetzee.
Our World Pool operation continues on Saturday at Eagle Farm Racecourse, where the G1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) is carded as S1-1 and will be run at 1.57pm.
The speed will be good with several horses going forward from wide gates to take up positions. PRINCE OF BOOM should settle on the speed and AMENABLE will go forward from his wide barrier, with BELLA NIPOTINA and MAGIC TIME also handy to the pace.
BELLA NIPOTINA will give weight to all her rivals and has drawn very wide. She is racing in outstanding form and backed up her Doomben 10,000 win with a narrow second to I WISH I WIN in the Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m). BELLA NIPOTINA extends to 1400m for the first time but, if Craig Williams can get her into a good position from the wide draw, she is a place chance.
ANTINO showed he would be hard to beat when winning the Victory Stakes (1200m) for Tony Gollan on 4 May before a moderate sixth to BELLA NIPOTINA two weeks ago. Vlad Duric takes the ride and despite drawing wide ANTINO has an excellent record at this course and distance and is a place chance.
VILANA is tackling this race for the third time, having been unplaced the last two years and has been gelded since. VILANA was a dominant winner of the Moreton Cup (1200m) last week and has drawn well. Trainer James Cummings has been pleased with how he came through that race and he is a win and place chance with Tim Clark to ride.
MAGIC TIME has an excellent record at this distance, winning the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield on a firm track and two runs ago won the All Aged Stakes at Randwick on heavy going. MAGIC TIME should get a good run from her draw and is a place chance for regular rider Michael Dee.
STEPARTY has drawn well and is a place chance for Dean Yendall and ROLL ON HIGH is attempting to become the first three-year-old filly to win the race since 2006. She is a place chance for Will Price.
The G2 The HKJC World Pool Q22 (2200m), which is carded as S1-2 and will be run at 2.30pm.
The pace will be good to moderate with BOIS D’ARGENT the likely leader, with NAVAL COLLEGE and SPIRIT RIDGE also settling in the leading group.
Annabel Neasham has five runners engaged including BORIS D’ARGENT and FAWKNER PARK who ran first and third, respectively, in the G1 Doomben Cup (2000m) on 25 May. FAWKNER PARK is a win and place chance for Tyler Schiller.
LIGHT INFANTRY MAN is a former European now trained by Ciaron Maher. LIGHT INFANTRY MAN resumed in the Scone Cup (1600m) on 17 May and ran well under top weight to finish seventh, beaten around two lengths. LIGHT INFANTRY MAN will improve off that effort and is a place chance from a good gate for Craig Williams.
ADELAIDE RIVER was formerly trained by Aidan O’Brien and was second in last year’s Irish Derby to stablemate AUGUSTE RODIN and then runner-up in the G1 Prix de Paris to FEED THE FLAME. ADELAIDE RIVER had his first run in Australia when unplaced behind JUST FOLKS over 1800m here two weeks ago. He is an interesting runner and can improve on the first-up effort with James McDonald taking the ride.
KOVALICA won last year’s Queensland Derby and ran third in the Hollindale Cup and again made ground when sixth in the Doomben Cup last start. He is suited by the extra distance and is place for Chris Waller and rider James Orman.
At Sha Tin on Saturday, the Class 3 Kat O Handicap is carded as Race 11 at 9.15pm and run over 1600m.
The speed will be good to slow. ORIENTAL SMOKE has drawn wide and Ben Thompson will go forward in search of the lead. Newcomer PRAY FOR MIR will likely settle close to the lead for Matthew Chadwick from gate five. CHING may settle closer than he has been recently from his inside draw and KEMPES could go forward from gate 10.
YOUNG ACHIEVER won the G2 German Guineas (1600m) last year and has now had two runs in Hong Kong, stepping to 1600m for the first time. YOUNG ACHIEVER made a promising debut but then ran midfield behind PATCH OF THETA over 1400m on 19 May, when Zac Purton advised he felt the horse would be better suited over 1600m. YOUNG ACHIEVER has been to Conghua since and trialled well last week. Zac rides the horse again and he is a win and place chance.
KARMA could hardly have been more impressive when defeating VOYAGE SAMURAI over this course and distance on 28 April. KARMA has been in Conghua since and trialled well at Sha Tin last week in preparation for this race. Vincent Ho goes back aboard KARMA and, while the wide draw makes the task a little harder, KARMA is a place chance.
AEROINVICIBLE is lightly-raced and stepped to the 1600m for the first time last start when third behind VOYAGE SAMURAI and STUNNING PEACH on 19 May. Andrea Atzeni takes the ride again and AEROIVINCIBLE is a place chance from his good draw.
CHING (Lyle Hewitson) may race closer to the front from his is good draw and is a chance on his best form and BEAUTY LIVE (Angus Chung) has not won this season, but will be running on at the finish of the race and has place claims.
KEMPES is a G1 winner in Argentina over this trip last year. He was well beaten on debut here on 19 May, but has since won a trial in impressive fashion and he can improve sharply on that first-up effort with Hugh Bowman taking the ride.
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